Recently I was asked where I came up with ideas for my novels. I have no one-answer solution. Basic ideas come from newspaper articles, overheard conversations while waiting in line at supermarkets and office waiting rooms, Bits of conversations from friends discussing real-life problems. The possibilities are endless. That said, every book I write starts with, WHAT IF?

In The Hidden Journal, I asked myself, what would happen if a woman, searching for a new start in life tossed a coin on a map to find a place to relocate.
WHAT IF that coin landed in the middle of Kentucky, a place where she knew no one but more important, no one knew her or her past.

Let's go one step further?
WHAT IF once she settled in a small community, she lost her income? How could she support herself.
WHAT IF the man she fell in love with was surrounded my long-time friends and she felt left out?
I tried to incorporate all of these in The Hidden Journal, plus many twists and turns I hope compels the reader to keep turning the pages. That is the ultimate goal of any writer.

While keeping with the theme of the story, a writer must exaggerate both the negative and the positive. Your heroine might fall deeply in love before the world crashes around her, or go deeply in debt before she finds her way back. Whatever theme you decide for your story, give your character many mountains to climb. Allow her to fail and just when things seem the darkest, open a tunnel of light. When writing romance, give your reader a happy or satisfying ending. That's why the reader purchases a romance novel.

I like to write about a heroine who grows and changes. A character who learns life's lessons and overcomes every possible road-block I can throw at her. I hope my readers enjoy reading about those challenges.

The HIDDEN JOURNAL is available on Amazon. Watch for my next eBook, MISPLACED to be released in July